Search - Highlights fom the Catalogue 04/05: Opera & Ballet on DVD

An excellent sampler

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 03/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Samplers are good for finding music and artists one is not familiar with, so educational as well as entertaining, this collection of live performances has some fantastic gems, a few pebbles, and some odd "updates" to favorite operas. Total running time is 98 minutes, and the tracks are:
1: Bellini, "Beatrice di Tenda" ~ "Ah ! Se un'urna e a me concessa" / Edita Gruberova ~ Zurich Opera, Marcello Viotti ~ 2002
This one gets better with each viewing.

2: Cole Porter, "Kiss Me Kate" ~ "So in Love with You" / Brent Barrett ~ Victoria Pallace Theatre, Gemignani ~ 2003
Barrett has a warm, gentle quality in his voice.

3: Massenet, "Manon" ~ "En fermanr les yeux" / Marcelo Alvarez, Renee Fleming ~ Paris National Opera, Lopez-Cobos ~ 2001
Excellent in every way.

4: Dvorak:, "Rusalka" ~ "Song to the Moon" / Renee Fleming ~ Paris National Opera, Conlon ~ 2002
Fleming is fabulous !

5: Marenco, "Excelsior" ~ "Obscurantism" / Marta Romagna, Riccardo Massimi ~ La Scala, Coleman ~ 2002
An interesting ballet piece.

6: Mozart, "Cosi Fan Tutte" ~ "Non siate ritrosi...E voi ridete ?" / Muller-Brachmann, Gura, Trekel ~ Staatskappele Berlin, Barenboim ~ 2003
This "update" doesn't work for me !

7: Prokofiev , "War and Peace" ~ "Kakoye pravo oni imyeyut" / Olga Guryakova ~ Paris National Opera, Bertini ~ 2000
My favorite of the sampler. Guryakova is superb, the sets striking; a soul stirring, gorgeous aria with a fantastic performance !

8: Donizetti, "Don Pasquale ~ "Tornami a dirche m'ami" / Eva Mei, Antonino Siragusa ~ Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Korsten, 2002
Dimly lit but wonderful.

9: Berg, "Lulu" ~ "Lulu's Song" / Laura Aikin ~ Zurich Opera, Welser-Most ~2002
Aikin is good in this difficult role, dressed in high heels and slit gown...toting a gun.

10: Delibes, "Coppelia" ~ "Mazurka" / Ecole de Danse, Paris National Opera, Coleman ~ 2001
Charming and colorful dance by the Opera Ballet students.

11: Rameau, "Platee" ~ "Formons les plus brilliants concerts" / Mirelle Delunsch ~ Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski ~ 2002
Interesting, but one of my least liked of the collection.

12: Bizet, "Carmen" ~ "Les voici ! Voici la quadrille !" / Arena di Verona, Lombard ~ 2003
Chorus, dancers, horses !

13: Verdi, "Otello" ~ "Oh! Monstruosa colpa" / Domingo, Nucci ~ La Scala, Mutti ~ 2001
Domingo, Nucci, Mutti...a winning combination.

14: Wagner, "Siegfried" ~ "Was Strahit mir dortentgegen ?" / Jon Frederic West ~ Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Zagrosek ~ 2003
One of the oddest "updates"...the set looks like the bedroom from "2001: A Space Odyssey"...and it is musically superb ! West is excellent.

15: Donizetti, "Lucie de Lammermoor" ~ "Qu'une lettre en ma misere" / Patrizia Ciofi, Roberto Alagna ~ Lyon National Opera, Pido ~ 2002
The French version. Ciofi and Alagna marvelous. Ciofi is impressive and makes a beautiful Lucia.

16: Adam, "Giselle" ~ Pas de deux / Natalia Bessmertnova, Yuri Vasyuchenko ~ Bolshoi Theatre, Zhuraitis ~ 1990
Not filmed to best advantage, but Bessmertnova always a treat to watch.

17: Puccini, "Turandot" ~ "Non piangere, Liu" / Botha, Burchuladze, Gallardo-DomasVienna Philharmonic, Gergiev ~ 2002
A knockout, with great singers and Valery Gergiev keeping things electric. The "update" is interesting, and this is by far the best non-traditional production in the sampler.

18: Minkus, "Paquita" ~ Pas de deux / Agnes Letestu, Jose Martinez ~ Paris National Opera, Coleman ~ 2003
Lovely ballet, with Letestu's beautiful dancing feet !

19: Cilea, "Adriana Lecouvreur" ~ "Io son l'umile ancella" / Daniela Dessi ~ La Scala, Brignoli ~ 2000
Dessi does well in this Cilea aria.

20: Minkus, "Don Quichotte" ~ "Duel" / Didiere, Queval ~ Paris National Opera, Florio ~ 2002
Mime ballet, and one of my least favorite of the sampler.

21: Wagner, "Gotterdammerung" ~ "Ungeheure Macht wird dir" / DeVol, Itturalde, Bracht ~ Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Zagrosek ~ 2003
Great listening, but a simply ghastly "update".

22: Rimsky-Korsakov, "Le Coq d'Or" ~ "otwets mne sorko swetilo" / Olga Trifonova ~ Paris Orchestra, Nagano ~ 2003
marvelous costume and singing.

23: Mozart, "Le Nozze di Figaro" ~ "Gente, gente, all'armi, all'armi !" / Watson, Grist, Wixell, Berry, et al. ~ Vienna Philharmonic, Bohm ~ 1966
Some of the greats are in this one. It's in b&w and grainy, but wonderful.
"